Noah Baumbach Signs Exclusive Deal with Netflix, Next Film ‘White Noise’ to Shoot in 2021
Zack Sharf
Noah Baumbach is making Netflix his home for the extended future by signing an official partnership deal with the streaming giant. Under the partnership, Baumbach will exclusively write and direct films for Netflix for the next several years. Baumbach’s last two films, “The Meyerowtiz Stories” and “Marriage Story,” were released by Netflix to critical acclaim. “Marriage Story” was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2020, including Best Picture, and won Laura Dern the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
While Baumbach has worked with Netflix on his last two movies, this new partnership marks the first overall deal struck between the filmmaker and the streamer. First out of the gate under the new partnership will be “White Noise,” Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name. Baumbach will produce the film alongside “Marriage Story” producer David Heyman. “White Noise” filming will begin later this year. According to reports, frequent Baumbach collaborators Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig are set to star in the lead roles.
Baumbach marked his new Netflix partnership with the following statement: “When I started in the film industry I dreamed of having a home. It took me about 25 years but it was worth the wait. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be making movies with Ted [Sarandos] and Scott [Stuber] and everyone at Netflix, who are wonderful collaborators and friends and family.”
“For more than two decades Noah has been writing and directing some of the most personal and influential films in American cinema,” added Sarandos, Netflix’s Co-CEO and Chief Content Officer. “When we started to work together almost four years ago, he immediately felt like family and I’m thrilled we’re finally making it official.”
Scott Stuber, Global Head of Netflix Films, said, “Noah tells authentic and universal human stories. I’m equally honored and excited to be able to collaborate on a third project with Noah, to have Netflix be a home to more of his projects and continue to have him do what he does best — make really great movies.”
Reports of Baumbach tackling “White Noise” surfaced earlier this month courtesy of a listing in Production Weekly, but Netflix now confirms Baumbach is writing and directing the DeLillo adaptation. The project marks Baumbach’s first adapted screenplay, although he previously attempted to mount a television adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s “The Corrections” at HBO.
